Wiring Question

[huskyfan23]

Ok, I didn't have a good connection on a switch of mine. This switch was wired into the cigarette lighter wiring. I disconnected the power from the switch to get it a better connection, and it accidentally touched the ground wire. There was a spark, and then the switch didn't work anymore. I also noticed my radar detector wasn't working... My radar detector pulls ground from the cigarette lighter socket, and power is wired into the radio fuse. The radio fuse is fine, radio comes on, as well as my speedometer which is also wired into it, but not the radar detector. I tried regrounding to different ground wires and I still got nothing. The cigarette lighter fuse is one of those big silver "circuit breaker" fuses, right? My flash-to-pass still works, and I bought another of those just to see if there was a difference, cigarette lighter socket still doesn't work. I really don't see what could have happened. Everything is protected by fuses, so they'd blow if there was a problem. The radio fuse doesn't even give power until the key is in the ACC position, so I don't see how that could've done anything to the radar detector. I just thought of something, maybe try the radar detector in another vehicle (DUH)! Anyways, until then does anybody have any ideas? Could the ground touching the power have sent power through the ground wire to the radar detector? It's a Passport 8500 with one of those smart plugs, so maybe I just blew the smart plug? Thanks!

 

[Electrohacker]

check the fuses if they work then you might have melted a wire fi they work you prolly blew the detector

all you can do is check al the links between it and the battery

 

[yob_yeknom]

The fuse for the cigar lighter should be blown. I don't know what fuse it is in a 1st gen, but it's probably just a regular fuse in the fuse box, maybe a 30 amp. It is also possible that just before the fuse blew current could have run back up through the ground of the radar detector, through the detector in the wrong direction which would blow it up, and then just grounded through the radio. It wouldn't have affected the radio or speedo, it would have been just like turning the key on as far as they are concerned, but the radar detector would have been fried.

 

[huskyfan23]

The radar detector works. Tried it in another vehicle. That was my main concern. I can wire the socket to something else. According to the manual, the fuse is for flash-to-pass and the cigarette lighter socket, and it's one of those metal (BP or PB .. something like that) fuses, 20A. I think I may have ruined the lighter socket also.. it's getting power and grounded fine, but it still won't turn on my radar detector. I don't see what could have happened to that besides a wire melting. Is there a place I could buy another one? I'm thinking of just getting one of those 1 into 2 sockets and cutting off the male end, then giving it 12v and ground.

 

[Crankcase]

Auto parts stores usually have extra sockets that you can buy....In Canada, there us a brand called HELP! that has stuff like that at NAPA stores...

 

[Electrohacker]

radio shack carries a few diffrent types too

 

[goobenet]

Look at the cord feeding your radar detector. It might have a small fuse hidden in the plug. Very common to hide in there and confuse the hell out of people. Have you tried the radar detector in someone elses vehicle yet?

 

[huskyfan23]

Yeah. I opened the cord and saw nothing. I then tested it in another vehicle. Worked fine.

 

[huskyfan23]

Just got done putting in my new lighter socket, works fine now. It's an external one, so I can use my ashtray for a switch. My new problem is my switch. I bought a new switch thinking the other one was blown, hooked up power and ground, and the wires started getting real hot when the switch was on. What's up with that? Do I need to use a thicker gauge?

 

[romar]

What is this "switch" you are reffering to and what are you trying to switch on and off? Not sure what you are talking about. Are you mounting a switch where the cig lighter was? and are you using the same two wires for the switch that the cig. lighter used?

 

[huskyfan23]

It's a switch that goes to the relay for my strobes.

 

[romar]

Just got done putting in my new lighter socket, works fine now. It's an external one, so I can use my ashtray for a switch. My new problem is my switch. I bought a new switch thinking the other one was blown, hooked up power and ground, and the wires started getting real hot when the switch was on. What's up with that? Do I need to use a thicker gauge?

It seems by this post that you hooked up a 12v supply to one side of the switch and a ground to the other. Am I understanding you correctly? If that is the case, the reason the wires get hot when you close the contacts in your switch is because there is no load on that circut. Heavier gauge wire will help those electrons flow a bit more freely and your trucks harness will be on fire in no time. Take a long screwdriver and lay the shaft across the positive and negative post of your battery, do you see sparks? In essence if I am understanding you correctly that is exactly what you are doing with your switch.

BTW please don't do the thing I mentioned with the screwdriver....

 

[huskyfan23]

Guess I wasn't thinking .. should've had my switch to the relay not power

 

[huskyfan23]

It seems I didn't blow my switch, it wasn't even ground and power that were touching. The switch lights up, so it was ACC and switch output touching. No fuses blew, but I do notice my strobes aren't working. The power supply has a fuse and it isn't blown. I pulled the power supply wire off the relay and connected it to a constant 12v. There was a very tiny spark which tells me there's power, but my strobes won't go on. The power supply makes a noise when they're on, but there wasn't one. Anyone know what's up?

 

[romar]

does your relay have two sets of contacts? sounds like your strobes are wired on the normally closed side of the contact and when powered they open up.

 

[huskyfan23]

It's a SPDT, only a single. I didn't change anything around, so they worked before.

 

[huskyfan23]

Found the problem. One of the ports on my power supply has black all around the hole, so it looks like something went on in there. Used a multimeter, none of the ports are getting power, so I think it's ruined.